Complex Cancer Surgery in the Outpatient Setting: The Josie Robertson Surgery Center

Minimally invasive operative techniques and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols have transformed clinical practice and made it possible to perform increasingly complex oncologic procedures in the ambulatory setting, with recovery at home after a single overnight stay. Capitalizing on these changes, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's Josie Robertson Surgery Center (JRSC), a freestanding ambulatory surgery facility, was established to provide both outpatient procedures and several surgeries that had previously been performed in the inpatient setting, newly transitioned to this ambulatory extended recovery (AXR) model. However, the JRSC core mission goes beyond rapid recovery, aiming to be an innovation center with a focus on superlative patient experience and engagement, efficiency, and data-driven continuous improvement. Here, we describe the JRSC genesis, design, care model, and outcome tracking and quality improvement efforts to provide an example of successful, patient-centered surgical care for select patients undergoing relatively complex procedures in an ambulatory setting.